Will Liverpool be made Depay for missing out on Memphis? (Image: Getty)

Share

Get football updates directly to your inbox

Thank you for subscribing!

Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email

Liverpool fans are gutted to hear that Memphis Depay is heading to the wrong end of the East Lancs after Manchester United announced he was signing for them. Yet another transfer window blow – and the window isn’t even open yet.

It’s been an awful season at Anfield and most of the blame for that has gone on the lack of any decent goal scorers at the club.

Luis Suarez, the best one from last season, is now at Barcelona. The second best from last season, Daniel Sturridge, has been out most of the season and is now in hospital somewhere recovering from surgery on the latest of an unfortunate selection of injuries. New signings Balotelli and Lambert joined Borini in not working out. Liverpool scored 101 league goals last season, this season they haven’t even got a player in double figures.

Video Loading

Video Unavailable

Click to playTap to play

The video will start in 8Cancel

Play now

Quite clearly the answer to all Liverpool’s problems is to sign a decent striker with a great goal scoring record but without a worrying injury record.

Described by some as a winger, others as a striker and yet more as “better than Ronaldo” he would almost certainly be of more use to Liverpool than Rickie Lambert turned out to be. Except he’s not coming to Anfield.

It’s becoming an all too familiar pattern at Anfield and adds more weight to calls for a major upheaval in the recruitment system put in place by John W Henry and Fenway Sports Group.

The aim of that recruitment system seems to be to buy players the manager won’t use for more money than anyone else is remotely interested in paying for them, whilst missing out on the ones worth having.

Irreplaceable? The Reds have not filled the void created by Suarez's departure (Image: Action Images)

The Dutch forward has been on Liverpool’s radar for some time and recent reports made it sound extremely encouraging for fans of the Merseyside club.

As is usually the case, the tale begins with Liverpool’s interest in the player getting out into the public eye. This obviously happens every summer – and with far more players than Liverpool are genuinely interested in – but eventually it gets to a point where people who have a good ear for such stories are telling us there really is some interest.

Then we hear about how actual talks have begun, before being told how confident we are of pulling the deal off. That message of confidence often comes – off the record of course – via someone at the club. A superstitious person would probably keep that feeling of confidence to themselves, not wishing to put the mockers on the deal.

Not a prayer: The Reds have missed out on a key target - again (Image: Getty)

Before you know it we’re getting told it’s nailed on and fans are making up songs about him, working out which squad number he should have and debating some possible complimentary signings to get the best out of him.

Here we are again. This nailed-on Liverpool target was Memphis Depay and he’s signed for Manchester United.

Video Loading

Video Unavailable

Click to playTap to play

The video will start in 8Cancel

Play now

Add him to the roll-call of nailed-on signings who never arrived at Anfield, like Diego Costa, Willian, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Mohamed Salah, Yevhen Konoplyanka and most recently Alexis Sanchez.

Liverpool have become the club that softens targets up for other clubs.

Depay had been in talks with Liverpool and, according to reports, the feedback from those talks was positive and the player “had his heart set on a move to the Premier League”. And as soon as his heart was in the right place another club came along and made sure it wasn’t at Liverpool.

Maybe there’s another reason not to go telling people how confident you are about a deal. Maybe it’s better keeping absolutely quiet about it until it’s done. In fact, short of some overexcited urge by individuals at the club to engage in gossip what exactly do Liverpool gain by leaking transfer updates out?

If Liverpool need a lesson in keeping quiet about transfers Google David Moyes and Momo Sissoko.

Of course agents have a lot to gain by news leaking out and bidding wars kicking off – but why do Liverpool add credence to what the agents are saying?

A cynical fan might wonder if it’s deliberate, that there was never any intention of spending that sort of money on that kind of player. After all, who did Liverpool actually spend that kind of money on instead when they missed out on Costa, or Willian or Sanchez?

Brendan Rodgers said he needs two forwards this summer, two recognised ready-to-go forwards. They’ve missed out on this one, who sounds like he would have been ideal for the kind of football Liverpool played last season, so let’s see if Liverpool still spend the kind of money it takes – twice – to get your hands on the calibre of player the manager says he needs.

The club will no doubt hide behind all manner of excuses as to why Depay chose Manchester United instead of Liverpool. There’s always an excuse, some more valid than others.

The most obvious excuse with Depay of course is the pull of Manchester United’s manager, his fellow Dutchman Louis van Gaal, who was also his boss in the last World Cup. The two are said to be close so there won’t be too many targets Liverpool can miss out on for that precise reason.

That said, what pull does Brendan Rodgers have? Is he close to any potentially world class players? What powers of persuasion can Ian Ayre use when he flies out to meet these targets? Have any of Liverpool’s targets even heard of any of the members of the transfer committee?

There’s an assumption that paying the fee and offering the wages gets you the player. Liverpool have found over and over again that this isn’t the case. What else can Liverpool use to entice players over?

The chance to play with other world class players? Who?

The chance to play in the Champions League? Not likely.

The chance to play in front of a noisy and passionate Anfield crowd? Not these days.

The chance to be involved in a title challenge? Can you keep your face straight while you say it?

No doubt somewhere in the kind of books John Henry, Ian Ayre and Brendan Rodgers all like to read will be some kind of advice about how if you can’t meet expectations you should lower them. Some fans are falling for it already, agreeing with the manager that fifth place and no trophies would be “par” for Liverpool, like that is a good thing.

Imagine trying to sell that version of Liverpool to a top-class player looking to take his career up a notch or two.

If Liverpool can’t even persuade their own 20-year-old forward that Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool is the place to be if he wants to win things, what chance have they got with proven talent?

Depay was probably never going to come to Anfield anyway but there are still lessons to be learned from the story.

Unless the club finds a way to keep its transfer talks quiet, improve its image and display some genuine ambition from the top downwards Depay won’t be the only target Liverpool miss out on this summer.